Now that’s a great question.
It seems that the more popular question has been some form of “When will this be over?” or “When will things go back to normal?”
Since we have no control over the timing or lifespan of our adopted quarantine lifestyles, it might be more helpful to plan out some of our next steps once this all ends – whenever that happens.
Just like most of us were caught off guard when our favorite gyms, stores, and restaurants shut down, I have a sneaking suspicion that many people will be equally caught off guard once things open back up again.
So much freedom all of a sudden! What do I do first? Where should I go? What restaurant should we eat at?
As a Coach, I won’t speak much on where you decide to shop or eat first (although I’m particularly excited to go on a date night out with my wife!), but I feel I ought to chime in on the fitness side of things.
Some of you have been working out at home for years, and won’t have to make any adjustments moving forward. But for the rest of us who are itching to lift in a wide open gym with all the people and all the equipment, the question at hand is about how to enter into a new training block in the smartest and most effective way possible.
Let’s talk about a few generalities that should help guide your workouts post-quarantine shutdown.
Start making a plan before everything opens back up
Check it out, we’re already doing that here – nice!
Consider your equipment choices
I suspect that gyms reopening will mimic the first few weeks of January – it’s going to be busy. If this is the case, think about what pieces of equipment will be in the highest demand, and plan your training accordingly. If you’re trying to get in and out of the gym as fast as possible, stick primarily to dumbbells, kettlebells, and cardio equipment – the pieces of equipment that are plentiful and multi-purpose. Squat racks, bench presses, and cable machines will require the longest wait times. If that’s not a problem for you, then feel free to wait in line to get in your lifts!
Consider your intensity
Just like January of each year, it’s going to be tempting to jump right (back) into a high intensity, high volume, high load, high frequency program that will likely leave you strained and exhausted. My advice is to take it slower than you think you need to for the first week or two. Let your body adapt to your new workouts as you gradually increase your number of sets, reps, weights, exercises per workout, and workouts per week. Going too hard too fast will be a slower process in the long run if you overdo it.
Use this time as preparation to ramp up into your gym workouts
A partial workaround to the point prior is to start gradually increasing your workout intensity with your workouts at home. Use this next week, two weeks, or however long your quarantine lasts to challenge your muscles so they won’t be so shocked by your workouts at the gym. If you don’t have access to heavier weights, try boosting your intensity in other ways: change your rep tempo, use more difficult exercise variations, implement unilateral exercises, etc. These will be more helpful than always adding more reps to each set.
Adjust your nutrition accordingly
Many of us have had an overall lower energy expenditure during our time under quarantine – fewer steps per day, fewer/less intense workouts per week, sitting more while working at home, etc. If you are planning on significantly increasing your daily energy expenditure when everything opens back up, adjust your nutrition to match these changes. This doesn’t mean that you suddenly have to eat everything in sight to make up for the calorie difference, but you may notice a slightly larger appetite building each day. Fill up with enough protein to keep you full, especially if you’re dieting in a calorie deficit. I’ll personally be increasing my calorie intake by a few hundred calories to ensure that I’m at or slightly above maintenance to help optimize bulking season!
Take care of your non-fitness priorities
The idea of spending all day, every day at the gym may sound appealing to many of us, but keep in mind that real life is still happening all around you. Of course it makes sense to tend to your daily responsibilities, but think about all the activities, habits, and relationships you discovered during quarantine. Are there any of these that you want to continue as life moves beyond quarantine? What will it take to make space, time, and energy for these things? For example, if you’ve rediscovered your love of reading for fun, take a moment to figure out what it will take to keep this hobby up. Would less time scrolling through social media be a good place to start, for instance? Just a thought that I’ll definitely be applying to myself!
Reach out for help if you need it.
You already know that you can always reach out to our Locker Room Facebook Group for help, or you can send me a message directly and I’d be happy to walk you through these transitions. Either way, making changes like these can be a longer and less straightforward process than our optimism would hope for – don’t struggle through this on your own! We’re here for you, and walking alongside you the whole way! Outside of fitness and nutrition, apply this same line of thinking. Reach out to your respective source of help, be that a spouse, parent, Bible study, therapist, boss, etc. This is bound to be a process that will take some readjusting, but it’s going to be worthwhile to set yourself up for short and long term success!